How to cook fresh artichokes

I love the grassy, sweet taste of artichokes—the bud of a flower in the thistle family. But when I first started cooking,
artichokes intimidated me.

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I finally confronted my artichoke phobia when I got my first restaurant job. I needed to learn how to prep and cook
artichokes—and fast. Needless to say, I served plenty of creamy artichoke soup in those early days as I was figuring out how
to cook these delicate spring vegetables. I finally know how, and there really is nothing to it. I promise.

How to Steam Artichokes: Place artichokes stem-end-up in a steamer basket over 2 inches of water
in a large, deep pot. Bring the water to a boil over high heat. Cover and steam until the stem and base are tender when
pierced with a sharp knife, 25 to 30 minutes for medium artichokes, 40 to 45 minutes for jumbo-size artichokes.

How to Grill Artichokes: Fill a large pot three-quarters full with water; add the juice of 1
lemon. Place artichokes stem-end-up in the water. Cover, bring to a boil and cook until the stem and base are almost tender
when pierced with a fork, 10 to 12 minutes for medium artichokes, 12 to 15 minutes for jumbo-size artichokes. Remove from the
water and let cool while you preheat a grill to medium. Cut the artichokes in half lengthwise; scoop out the choke and first
few inner leaves. Brush with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Grill until tender and lightly charred, about 5
minutes per side.

How to Microwave Artichokes: Place artichokes stem-end-up in a large glass bowl or deep glass
dish; add 1/2 cup water (or white wine) and a squeeze of lemon. Tightly cover with plastic wrap (or a glass lid). Microwave
on High until the stem and base are almost tender when pierced with a fork, 6 to 10 minutes. (Cooking time will vary
depending on the size of the artichokes and/or the microwave's power.) Remove from the microwave and let stand, covered, for
5 minutes to finish cooking.

Here are some of my favorite recipes that use fresh artichokes:

Sun-Dried Tomato & Feta
Stuffed Artichokes
One of the easiest, and most delicious, ways to enjoy an artichoke is to stuff it. Artichokes are pretty neutral-tasting, so
they take well to bold flavors. In our recipe for Sun-Dried Tomato & Feta Stuffed Artichokes, you stuff whole artichokes with
whole-wheat breadcrumbs, feta, sun-dried tomatoes and garlic and braise them in broth flavored with more garlic and lemon
juice.

Grilled Artichokes
If you can find baby artichokes at the market, grill them! These tender, first-of-the-season artichokes will pick up a lovely
smoky flavor from the grill. After prepping the artichokes and boiling them in lemon-water, you slice them in half lengthwise
and grill them.

If you prefer canned artichokes to fresh, this recipe is a winner:

Artichoke-Scrambled Eggs Benedict
Roasted artichoke bottoms stand in for English muffins in this quick yet elegant supper. Substitute roasted mushrooms for the
pancetta for a vegetarian option. Serve with roasted new potatoes or a tossed salad.